Pimelea traversii subsp. exedra
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp, DPS, DPT
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Low-growing sprawling shrub to 15cm tall with slightly hairy twigs bearing pairs of oval leaves, hairy white flowers and dry hairy fruit inhabiting ultramafic rocks on the Livingstone Range (Southland). Flowers 3–4 mm wide.
Flower colours
Red/Pink, White
Detailed description
A much-branched small to medium sized, spreading shrub up to 150 mm tall. Branches spreading; branchlets spreading or upright, with very short, sparsely hairy internodes. Node buttresses occupy the whole or most of the internode, dark brown, usually prominent after leaf fall, stems aging grey-brown, grey or black. Internodes 1–4 mm long. Leaves decussate, ascending to patent, often closely imbricate, on very short petioles (0.2 mm) or sessile. Lamina small light olive green, sometimes red-margined, thick and coriaceous, broad elliptic to broad ovate, sometimes oblong or obovate, 3–9 × 2–6 mm, slightly keeled, concave above, obtuse, base angustate or cuneate; margins thickened, slightly down-turned; midvein evident on under side, lateral veins obscure. Stomata only on abaxial side. Inflorescences many-flowered, pedicels 0.2 mm long, persistent. Involucral bracts 4, usually wider than the leaves (6–9 × 4–8 mm). Plants gynodioecious. Flowers hairy on outside; inside densely hairy in ovary portion and lower tube, sometimes sparsely hairy in upper tube; fragrant, white with reddish bases and tube. Calyx lobes open in salverform fashion. Female tube to 6 mm long, ovary portion 4 mm, calyx lobes 2.5 × 1.3 mm. Staminodes short, at mouth of tube. Female tube to 9 mm long, ovary portion 3 mm, calyx lobes 4 × 2.2 mm; anther filaments inserted below mouth of tube; anthers yellow. Hermaphrodite flower tubes 2-3 mm wide just below calyx lobes, calyx lobes 3-4 mm wide. Ovary with abundant hair at summit, less densely hairy to about half-way down. Fruits ovoid, green, drying brown, 4 mm long. Seeds ovoid, 3.5 × 1.6 mm. Dried hypanthia persistant and dispersing with fruits inside.
Similar taxa
Pimelea traversii subsp. exedra is (at least so far) known from one site on the Livingston Range where it grows on ultramafic rocks. It differs from subsp. traversii by the smaller grow habit (up to 250 mm tall) and by having larger flowers. Pimelea traversii subsp. boreus is confined to north-eastern Marlborough where it grows on limestone and other calcareous rocks. It differs from subsp. traversii and subsp. exedra by its taller size, larger leaves and by the presence of sparse hairs on the stem internodes. As some of these distinctions seem fairly arbitrary, it is clear that further critical study of the range of variation in P. traversii using cytological and molecular techniques is needed.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (western Southland, where apparently confined to Mount Cerberus in the Livingstone Mountains).
Habitat
Montane. On stable, ultramafic scree and amongst boulders.
Threats
First recognised in June 2008. Very little is known about this plant. It is currently known from one small area of the ultramafic rocks on the Livingstone Range where it is said to be very uncommon. However, the habitat occupied by the plant is widespread on the mountains so further survey is needed to determine its exact status.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
None (first described in 2008)
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October–April
Fruiting
December–June
Propagation technique
Not known from cultivation–see P. traversii subsp. traversii
Other information
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Etymology
pimelea: from Greek pimelē, meaning “lard” or “soft fat,” presumably referring to the oily seeds or fleshy cotyledons.
traversii: Named after William Thomas Locke Travers (1819-1903) who was an Irish lawyer, magistrate, politician, explorer, naturalist, photographer. He lived in New Zealand from 1849 and was a fellow of the Linnean Society.
Previous conservation statuses
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, Sp
2012 | Data Deficient
2009 | Data Deficient
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Burrows CJ. 2008. Genus Pimelea (Thymelaeaceae) in New Zealand 1. The taxonomic treatment of seven endemic, glabrous-leaved species. New Zealand Journal of Botany 46(2): 127–176. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288250809509760.
Attribution
Description based on Burrows (2008).